Mika Hakkinen explains ‘brave approach’ Lando Norris has over Oscar Piastri

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The intra-team battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri has been one of the most fascinating storylines of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

As the established driver at McLaren for the last six years, Norris is challenging for his first title in a battle with Max Verstappen while Piastri is only in his second year at the team and is already matching him.

The pair have had their near-misses on track, notably at the Italian Grand Prix where Piastri’s forceful move on the opening lap cost McLaren a race win and a potential one-two finish.

The incident led to the team asking the Australian to back Norris in the title race, although Piastri stopped short of saying he would give up a race win for his teammate.

Piastri has arguably been one of Norris’ toughest rivals this season, largely due to the big difference in driving style between the pair. Two-time World Champion Mika Hakkinen highlighted the differences between the pair when speaking on the Drive to Wynn podcast.

Mika Hakkinen thinks Lando Norris is more aggressive than Oscar Piastri

Hakkinen has gone up against some of the toughest drivers in F1 history, including a tense title battle with Michael Schumacher in the 1998, 1999, and 2000 seasons.

The Finn believes there are a lot of comparisons between Norris and Carlos Sainz, who used to be the Briton’s teammate when he first joined McLaren back in 2019.

“When I’m looking at Sainz’s driving style, he is very aggressive. Every racing car and every different tyre compound, different tyre construction, requires a different kind of attack from the driver.

“Sainz’s aggressive and brave approach seems to fit the car balance really well and the Ferrari. The same thing is at McLaren, Lando has a much more aggressive driving style compared to Piastri and that seems to work.”

How Lando Norris has ‘changed’ racing Max Verstappen after Mexico City Grand Prix

The title battle between Norris and Verstappen is heating up between the pair with just four races left on the calendar.

Verstappen’s driving drew a lot of criticism after he pushed the limits of what is acceptable under the driving guidelines in Austin, while in Mexico his robust defence on Norris earned him a pair of 10-second time penalties.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

Martin Brundle felt his moves were ‘ridiculous’ on Norris, while Damon Hill also felt he ‘let himself down’ by racing unfairly.

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes Norris had to change his approach in Mexico to get the measure of the Dutchman, which is ultimately what led to the incidents on track.